


I'll dance and I'll dream and one day, It could be real.

by ArtemisLunala



Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Gay Panic, It's nothing special but it is gay so, Mutual Pining, here you go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:53:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25972441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtemisLunala/pseuds/ArtemisLunala
Summary: Okoye needs to learn how to dance, and how to trust someone again. You're willing to help teach both.Just some good gay Black Panther content honestly, because there simply isn't enough of it.
Relationships: Okoye (Marvel)/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	I'll dance and I'll dream and one day, It could be real.

“Y/N!” Okoye yelled, storming into the training area. “Where are you?” She sounded slightly agitated, a far cry from her usually collected dementor. Instantly, you stopped your training and racked your brain to think of what you could have done to upset her, but nothing came to mind. You were innocent until she proved you guilty.

“Over here.” You yelled, emerging from behind a punching bag as you spun the wraps off of your hands and threw them in the vague direction of your bag. You noticed her expression wasn’t angry, but instead registering an emotion you’d never seen her wear before. Part of you felt reassured, but the rest of you was concerned. “Are you alright?” You asked, moving towards her.

Okoye was good at putting up walls and guarding her thoughts and emotions. She had to be in her line of work, and it only got harder after her marriage to W’Kabi met an unfortunate end. She was left feeling like her entire life was made up of walls too high for anyone to see over, much less scale. Eventually she stopped trying to connect with anyone at all.

Then you came along, with your sweet smile and nimble feet. You took her walls, tall and fearsome as mountains and hopped them like they were nothing and emerged on the other side unscathed. Every tactic Okoye had to scare people off rolled right past you, and almost against her will, Okoye began to feel for you.

You were by every count Okoye’s opposite, not at all the woman she would usually fall for. You could be reckless and brash. Your self-preservation skills rivalled Shuri herself, which is to say, severely lacking. Your fighting style was crazy and over the top compared to her refined techniques, compensating for your height by seemingly confusing your enemies and then beating them into the dirt. Okoye found it strange but couldn’t deny its effectiveness. You were kind but crazy, interesting to talk to but tended to be off in your own world most of the time. You were a ball of crazy contradictory material.

_So why couldn’t Okoye get you out of her head?_

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just…” Her eyes flickered away from you as you got closer, before resettling. “I’m heading out on a mission tomorrow and I need to ask you a favour.” She explained, and you realised that this emotion was indignity. She needed your help. You placed your hand on her arm to reassure her, and Okoye almost felt herself lean into the touch.

You nodded. “Of course, Okoye, anything you need.”

Okoye was quiet for a second. “I need to learn how to dance.” She finally spat out.

Your brain took a second to process the request, and then you were certain you had misheard her. “Dance?” You repeated. Okoye was so beautiful and gloriously refined that you just assumed she would know how to do all that fancy stuff. Was that why she was so worried about asking?

“Specifically Waltzing, I never learned. I know they teach War-dogs those sorts of things, so I thought perhaps you could show me how.” She explained.

“I mean of course I can, but why are you asking me? That sounds like the kind of thing Nakia would be really good at.” You asked her, thinking back to your time at the War Dog training program. Nakia had topped every single class and somehow made it look effortless, something you definitely weren’t still bitter about years later.

“I asked, but she’s busy with royal duties.” Okoye lied. She didn’t even think about asking Nakia. She wanted to learn from you.

“What about Princess Shuri?” You prompted further.  
“She tried to teach me how to breakdance. Not what I am looking for.”

You giggled, the mental image of Okoye breakdancing forever imprinted in your brain now. No doubt she’d be fantastic at it. “Well in that case, I’d be honoured to dance with you. We can do it over here on the mats.” You said with a smile, gesturing to the wrestling area as you walked.

“Thank you.” She whispered, following you over onto the padded floors.

You were quiet for a second as you thought of the best was to show Okoye. You’d never taught anyone to dance before, but the most effective way to teach someone in a night would be a dance with them, a thought that wasn’t unwelcome to you. You’d take any chance to be close with the general.

“Okay, the first step is put down the spear.” You said, giggling to yourself as Okoye looked at it in her hand apprehensively. “You can put it over there with my things, so it’s still close enough for comfort.” You paused, walking to the centre of the mats. “Why do you need to learn to dance? I know it’s for a mission, but what sort of mission would require that?”

“You are the Wardog in the room. Surely you’ve had missions of your own that required you to dance.” Okoye said, subtly avoiding the question as she laid her weapon down and made her way back towards you.

“Pole dancing, yes. Waltzing, not so much.” You lamented, missing the slight blush that crept up onto Okoye’s cheeks and the way she swallowed awkwardly when you said that. “It’s a ye olde skill and not many people use it, which brings me back to my original question.”

Okoye sighed as you took her hands and moved her so that you two were parallel, facing towards each other. “T’Challa and I have to go to a fancy gala run by a vibranium dealer. I need to snare a dance with him so that I can attach a tracking device to the back of his collar, but if I can’t dance a full song with him, it’ll tip him off that I don’t belong there, so best that I learn how.”

“I see.” You hummed, thinking. “So, I should lead, then.” She nodded, and you continued. “Take your right hand in my left and put your left arm around my shoulders. The leader, that’s me, puts their arm around your back, on your lower waist. It’s a very close dance.” In position, your bodies were pressed together, and you could practically feel her pulse, much faster than you would have expected it to be. “Are you alright with this?” You asked.

“Yes, this is fine.”

“Good. Let me know if that changes, I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. Now, you put your feet here and here.” You explained, showing her with your own feet.

She narrowed her eyes at the ground as she got into the correct position. “What if I stand on your foot?” She whispered softly.

“Oh, I’ll have a personal vendetta against you for the rest of our lives.” You said, your voice thick with sarcasm as you rolled your eyes. “You wouldn’t be the first, Okoye, or the last. It’s okay.”

“I’m an awful dancer.” She admitted, grimacing at her own legs.

“Maybe you’ve just never had the right partner.” You rationalized, hating the way that she was putting herself down. You couldn’t help but think of her as perfect, and you were disappointed she didn’t see things the same way.

Her eyes glassed over, and she stared blankly into the distance over your shoulder. “I thought that I had,” She hummed, thinking back to her old relationship. “but I was wrong.”

You almost broke the position to envelope her in a hug, but you settled for rubbed her back with you free hand. “I’m sorry, Okoye. None of that was your fault. He’s an idiot for leaving you.”

“Technically, I left him.” She corrected with a somber smile.

You nodded. “I would have done the same. He didn’t deserve you.”

“Thank you. You’re very kind.”

The look the two of you shared was just a second too long to be platonic, before you shook your head and cleared your throat.

“Anyway, I’ve got to teach you. Okay you take a step diagonally right, as I take a step back.” You explained, helping her as she attempted the movement. “That’s it, beautiful. Now, I’m going to move forward and turn, and you move to the left and turn too.” You continued to run through the steps, again and again and again, until the steps were flowing naturally. You were counting out the time under your breath as the two of you moved in sync. Okoye did well, moving fluidly with the expected grace of a fighter.

“There we go. Look at you. What are you talking about? You’re a natural.”

“Well maybe I finally found the right partner.” She said with a smirk.

You opened your mouth to respond but no sound came out. She noticed this and she paused for a minute. You worried perhaps you had insulted her by not saying anything back. Meanwhile, Okoye was trying to sike herself.

_Take the leap, Okoye. For Basts sake, just go for it!_

“Would you like to go out with me?”

Your eyes widened and your mouth fell open. You swallowed, trying to convince yourself that this was real life and one of the most beautiful women Basket had ever blessed the earth with was asking you out. “Go out with you? Like, on a date?” You asked, your voice quivering.

She nodded, looking refined and confident and so damned beautiful. “Yes. I’ll take you dancing. Proper Wakandan dancing.”

“I’d love too.” You said quickly. “That sounds wonderful.”

She smiled, and your heart nearly melted in your chest. Slowly and tentatively, you leant forward and brushed your lips together in a simple soft kiss. You sigh happily and rest your forehead against hers, shutting your eyes and enjoying the feeling of her being close. It’s all you’ve wanted since you met her.

“General Okoye?” Someone behind you called out. You turned and saw a Dora standing behind to the side of the mats, eyes set on the two of you and the slight hint of a smirk ghosting her lips. You snapped back to reality and realized how compromising your position was, pressed close to her leader, and tried to pull away, but Okoye’s grip on your hand and shoulder turned to iron, keeping you close. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the offending Dora but forced a smile.

“Yes, Ayo, what is it?” Okoye asked.

“T’Challa wants to meet with you to go over the mission plans. He requests your presence in the throne room at your earliest convenience.”

Okoye sighed. “Alright. Let him know I’ll be there in a minute. Dismissed.” She said authoritatively. Ayo saluted Okoye before turning and marching from the room, allowing Okoye to turn her attention back to you, closing her eyes, taking a deep sigh and resting her head on your shoulder. She just wanted to stay in this moment a minute, even a second longer, but alas, duty calls.

“I suppose we’ll have to postpone that date until you come back.” You lightly chuckled. She murmured in agreement and finally, slowly, pulled away from you, grabbing her spear from the pile of your things. “Be safe, entle.” You bid her as she reached the doorway.

“I’ll be back before you know it.” She promised.

“And I’ll be right here waiting for you." You pledged back.


End file.
